Nasheed returns to Maldives, slams former party MDP

Former President Mohammed Nasheed has lashed out at his rival party Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) at his first major political public meeting in the Maldives after staying away from politics since the presidential elections last year.

Nasheed, who quit the party he had founded and led as President in June, formed a new party called The Democrats. Having left the party due to conflict of interests, he criticised the MDP at a meeting held by The Democrats on Friday evening to conclude their parliamentary election campaign.

Nasheed's speech focused on the possible debates in the upcoming 20th Parliament. He concluded his speech with verbal attacks on the MDP.

Noting that he and his team worked hard in the 19th parliament, Nasheed said he had faced many challenges and obstacles in the MDP government.

"The party has stopped implementing their manifesto. The MMPRC theft was not investigated at all. Only President Yameen was arrested, everyone else involved in the theft has been released and freed," Nasheed said.

"The theft that took place during the dangerous times of Covid-19, the theft of ventilators. And thousands of other thefts. While I sat in the Majlis chair, I heard the Hon'ble Member of Parliament for Maafannu North constituency [Imthiyaz Fahumy] say that [MDP] is a network of theft”.

Nasheed, who resigned as party president after the MDP tried to remove him from the post following the results of the presidential election, said the Parliament is a “sincere and loyal place”. He described it as a strong place connected to the hearts of the people.

“When you elect people to this parliament, I am sure you will heed what had happened in the 19th parliament,” Nasheed said, indirectly asking people not to vote for the MDP candidates.

We are in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This island nation should not be caught in between disputes in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives should not get bogged down in this confrontation with China and India [and] the West.

Former President Mohammed Nasheed

He then indirectly launched verbal attacks on his former close friend and later rival, former President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih.

"No one should try to control the parliament. They should do nothing but implement policies," Nasheed said.

In addition, Nasheed said:

"[The MDP's] manifesto was to implement the Veshifahi Male programme. There was no other housing program in the Male area in the previous [Solih's] government. That program was not implemented," Nasheed said.

"So ,there was no housing policy in 2019, 2020 or 2021”.

Nasheed described the land and flats given by the Solih government close to the presidential elections as “sorcery”.

"It's not a housing policy. At last we found out that the land was given over the sewer," he said.

"In the absence of a policy of the [Solih] government, we have gone through many wrong paths and still no one is able to enter their homes”, referring to the land plots given by Solih regime under Binnveriyaa scheme.

Although Nasheed openly criticised the former MDP government, he did not aim any criticism at the current government of President Dr Mohammed Muizzu.

Nasheed, who has always maintained close relations with neighbouring India, urged the country not to get involved in geopolitical rivalry. However, he mentioned it without directly slamming the current government.

"We are in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This island nation should not be caught in between disputes in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives should not get bogged down in this confrontation with China and India [and] the West," Nasheed said.

"We must have that courage, that knowledge, that determination. We will cross over these waters and deliver our countrymen to the shores of safety."

Nasheed described foreign policy as “not giving in to any particular hand.” He noted how Maldives has been holding on to its independence and sovereignty for hundreds of years, existing this way.

“This is a debate that will happen in the 20th Parliament, what I have just said,” Nasheed said.

"The debate should be joined by the members of Parliament who knows, understands and is deft in these matters. Those members are in The Democrats party. Please vote for them”.